Ruengoethe

Apsara

“It is good to honor truth over brothers and sisters, beauty over lords and heroes.”
-from The Good Citizen by Loponmos

or “Fae of the Autumn Court”
The reclusive kingdom Autumn Court is home to some of the finest colleges and libraries in the world, but they aren’t interested in sharing. With the spellsung wilds and a country settled by their former slaves between them and the nearest empire, the Autumn Court is relatively isolated from the outside world. They are still a nation of slavers, and though they no longer use their talent at creating magebred creatures to make anything truly sentient, they still create creatures that exist in the realm of the liminal, and their primary exports are still creatures and crops twisted through Tuning. Their society is structured as a meritocracy, where everyone is pushed to excel in as many areas as possible from a very early age. The Court removes newborns from their family and raises all children in a consigned academy. Swordplay, Tuning, art, and rhetoric are part of any Apsara youth’s background, and this would not be possible if it were not for the dedicated force of slaves the Autumn Court keeps to supply the gentry the leisure time to pursue these crafts. All Apsara have the ability to phase out of existence for brief moments, to bodily transmit themselves across the Loom and reappear somewhere else.

Play an Apsara if you want…

To be proud, educated, and mysterious.

To be part of a society that places value on merit and talent rather than ancestry.

To be able to excel as a wizard, psion, or rogue.

Gameplay Statistics

Use the Eladrin statistics from the Player’s Handbook. Languages are Vulgate and Seelie.

Physical Description: Apsara are shorter than the other fae, and are even more slight. Their skin is often a dusky brown or red, and their hair is the same. Apsara eyes have an epicanthic fold and like other fae do not have pupils. Eyes can pure black, white, red, or hazel. Apsara dress in accordance with their role in their society, with scholars wearing robes that designate their specialty and warriors wearing as little as possible—to fight unarmored is considered a show of skill. Marks of deeds are often stitched into cloths or worn as trophies. Even the way hair is braided is part of a complex set of symbols meant to boast about one’s accomplishments. In addition, in a society where everyone has the ability to slip in and out of the material realm, judges have one’s misdeeds carved into the flesh of criminals in lieu of imprisonment.

Playing an Apsara in this campaign: Aspara are very driven to succeed. They work to better their station through improving their own personal virtues, so you may use this societal pressure to help form your character into a selfish Apsara, someone overly concerned with public appearance, or both. Apsara are not well-liked, even by other fae, due to some of their practices that are considered barbaric, such as their gladiatorial games and continued experimentation in magebreeding. You may either defend or rebuke their traditional values, but always be able to offer insight into the Apsaran defense of them. You are also educated when compared to most others, and therefore will be able to provide historical commentary. However, Apsara are separated from both current affairs and the mundane concerns of daily life. While you may be able to translate Nonman poetry, you will not know how to peel a potato or mend your own shoes.